In the wake of the new possibilities of treatment born of modern medicine, thanks to the constant collaboration between the transfusion service and orthopedics-traumatology, directed by Raffaella Berti and Nunzio Mastrantonio, medicine is now also used at the San Donà di Piave hospital regenerative biological.
«It is a therapy that uses a platelet concentrate known as Platelet Rich Plasma, or PRP – explains Dr. Berti – which is prepared at the transfusion medicine service through an apheresis procedure carried out in the patient’s / donor’s chair. The procedure involves a collection of whole blood from which, with the use of a cell separator, a plasma rich in platelets is obtained. The high concentration of platelets collected in total sterility allows the obtaining of more therapeutic doses ». PRP therapy has long been used in various branches of medicine, with much scientific evidence in the orthopedic field, for example in the presence of chronic tendonitis that does not respond to conventional treatments (such as that of the Achilles tendon, heelitis, elbow epicondylitis) and initial stages of knee osteoarthritis.
«The platelet is the dominant element as it releases growth factors capable of stimulating cell proliferation and differentiation – adds the head of the procedure, Pasquale Nava -. The platelet concentrate is then applied to the lesion site with an infiltration, this facilitates and accelerates the healing process, increases local vascularization by stimulating the formation of new vessels. This therapy reduces or eliminates pain and inflammation, allows the recovery of functional limitation and reduces the need for surgical intervention “.
Still in the field of regenerative medicine in the orthopedic field, Ulss 4 uses therapies that also use concentrates of fat cells separated from the fat taken from the patient’s abdomen; similarly to PRP therapy, these cells are then used (by infiltration) in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee in the initial phase.
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